Nutty's Storytime
Nutty's Storytime is a series of interconnected stories surrounding the Virtual Magic Kingdom, written and produced by Nutty. Each season is generally set in a land within VMK featuring characters that often make reappearences. Because the storylines often draw elements from books, TV shows, and/or movies, the series can be considered a form of fan fiction. The first season, the Gingerbread Chronicles, was originally designed to be a standalone season telling the backstories of Gingerbread Houses in VMK. "Gingerbread Chronicles" was the original name for the series. However, due to the success of the first season, producers picked up the show for a second season, later titled Adventureland. Unlike its predecessor, Adventureland flopped. Reluctant to disband the show, producers attempted one more season featuring characters from Season 1. Titled Fantasyland, the season was more successful than the first, surrounding the events preceding the first season. The fourth season, titled the Ghost Genocide, featured the return of arguably the season's main antagonist: Katarina. Producers renewed the show for a fifth season, titled New Frontier, ''which takes place in the Virtual Magic Kingdom seventy-eight years after the preceding season. A sixth season, titled ''Renaissance, introduced The Necromancer as the main villain and the revival of Operation Blele. A seventh season was renewed in 2015 as a farewell to the characters of seasons 5-7. It is titled Battlefield and focuses on one mission of SECKLE. An eighth season, titled Insinuation, featured a complete character and setting reset and premiered in March 2015. It centered on a scandalous town inundated in murder. The ninth season, Hellfire, ''was a direct sequel to ''Insinuation and dealt with the aftermath of the Killer's spree. A tenth season, titled Genesis, ''revolves around ten biblical plagues occurring globally and a select group of people attempting to stop them. On July 5, producers announced that a series of specials would be released at the end of the 10th season, featuring characters from past Series. The 2016 Specials premiered on January 4 of 2016. After the conclusion of the Specials on February 9, 2016, producers announced that a new season had not been planned, but it would remain an option for the future. On May 19, 2016, producers officially announced that Storytime would return for an eleventh season with the option open for more seasons to follow. However, this plan was shelved and there are no current plans to reboot VMK Storytime. Overview Season 1: ''Gingerbread Chronicles The first season began in Gallifreyan's Gingerbread House, telling the backstory, linking the various objects in the room together. Set at Christmastime 2013, the Mayor of then-called Gingerbread City, Calvin Orrupt, or C. Orrupt, was despised by his citizens. While harboring a secret, and particularly frowned upon, homosexual relationship with a waiter and adult film star, Rhys Runkashell, many of Gingerbread City's residents attempted to take down the Mayor. Led by Gallifreyan and Michael in an organization called Genesis, the series generally focuses on the events preceding the coup d'etat against Orrupt. Meanwhile, a religious war plays out in 19 Gingerbread Lane, various backstories are explored, and a Russian woman attempts to take control of the Gingerbread Empire through sinister means. Season 2: Adventureland The second season was entirely unrelated to the first with an entirely new cast of characters, settings, and storylines. The general premise was a husband-wife explorer duo who had lost their children while on a business safari. They enlist the help of the neighboring tribespeople of the Erut Nevda jungles in a desperate effort to find their children. The main antagonist of the series is the Red Bandit, though he himself is a MacGuffin. Although it is never clearly revealed in the season itself, the fourth season revealed the events of Adventureland occurred in February 2014. Season 3: Fantasyland Following the complete failure of the second season, producers opted to return familiar faces to the series. Season 3 takes place several years prior to the first. The season focused primarily on the royal family of Fantasyland; the Queen's children were predicted by the prophets to be cursed. Thus, the Queen disperesed her children into the hands of Keepers, trusted friends, until the Queen's death, by which time the curse would be impossible. The children, unaware of their royalty, eventually cross paths as two rogues lead a revolution against the monarchy and the children. Returning is Gallifreyan, Harvey Dugood, and Katarina, among others. Events reveal the intricate backstory of Katarina and Gallifreyan's acquaintance as well as the origins of Empress Niall. Season 4: Ghost Genocide The main premise of Season 4 was the resurrection of Katarina, or rather the revelation that she was never dead to begin with. One by one, districts of the Gingerbread Empire go missing as Katarina roams the land with her mysterious partner, Ersatz. The main cast was entirely returning characters with the exception of Ersatz, Bruno, Nutty, and Lily, the last three of which joined the Cult of Gallifrey. The main setting for the most part was Tsereve's new base beneath the Empire. It was also the second season, the first being Season 2 to connect Storytime to the real world. Season 5: New Frontier Producers announced the production of a fifth season, titled New Frontier, referring to Tomorrowland. The season featured primarily new characters, though many have real-world or VMK counterparts. The setting is the Virtual Magic Kingdom, 78 years after the Ghost Genocide and completion of the fourth season. The President, Amy, faces problems at home and abroad, eventually leading to a series of impeachments. Meanwhile, the story arc of Xerxes returns when the word plagues Gallifreyan's great-granddaughter, Deeba. As the extensive manhunt for Xerxes begins, VMK and Tomorrowland turn to War. Season 6: Renaissance Producers renewed the season for a sixth season, featuring returning characters such as Deeba, Simon, Blake, Anna, and Mets the Mailman in his first starring role. New characters include Spencer, Koala, and The Necromancer as the main villain. The season focuses on the revival of Operation Blele as they attempt to take down the Necromancer. Season 7: Battlefield Producers renewed the season for a seventh season, featuring SECKLE in its farewell season. The six remaining members of SECKLE, after falling from favor with the public, are mysteriously uploaded into a test by a man in a top hat and a reporter. Season 8:'' Insinuation An eighth season, featuring a complete reset of characters and setting, is due to premiere in March. It centers around the town of Sawyer Gulch and its ignominious residents including a clandestine fortune teller, a harlot, a shady priest, and a kindly doctor. It is the first season to have no relation to a previous season. Season 9: Hellfire The second season of Series D focuses on the FBI investigation and search for the official Torrance Killer. The search leads the main characters to towns across Gulch County while those still trapped in the Killer's web fight to break free. Season 10: ''Genesis '' The tenth season featured another reset. It premiered on September 11, 2015. The season revolved around three main characters who attempt to discover the truth behind a series of biblical plagues occurring around the world. 2016 Specials Producers announced a series of standalone episodes would be released at the close of the 10th season, featuring characters from past seasons. On November 14, producers stated that the specials may not be released until 2016. The 2016 Specials premiered on January 4, 2016. Production 'Conception' The initial idea for the series began when VMK player Gallifreyan asked Nutty to help her describe her Gingerbread House for the annual Gingerbread House competition. Nutty quickly assembled a backstory without a resolution. This would later become the pilot of the series and the first spark to the worldwide sensation (yes worldwide). Later, another VMK player, NiallOfficial, entranced by the story, asked for another. This led to Episode 2 in 19GL. However, it was also intended to be a standalone episode. The third episode, Key East, was the same. However, on the night of their wedding, Nutty and NiallOfficial went to Gingerbread Junction for a story. This story would be the backstory of Episode 1 character Mayor Calvin Orrupt. From then on, the stories wove together culminating in the season finale on January 11, 2014. 'Storytelling' Stories are told, in Seasons 1 and 2, by Nutty. Beginning about a quarter of a way through the third season, Rhys, a title character in seasons 1 and 4, took over as chief storyteller. He was succeeded by Mets the Mailman at the end of the seventh season. The first female Storyteller, Katarina, took over for the tenth season. Stories (Episodes) are set in a VMK room and told generally without props or live acting. The Season 4 premiere featured a live show, the first of its kind. Each season can contain anywhere from 6 (Battlefield) to over 40 episodes (Fantasyland and ''New Frontier). While the show is generally dramatic, there are occassional elements of comedy. The first season was special in that it highlighted several controversial topics such as LGBT rights, religion, and politics. Producers announced that storytellers will change at the end of each Series, most likely to be replaced by a character from that outgoing Series. Producers announced that there will never be a season as long as Fantasyland ''or ''New Frontier again. They will be roughly 10-15 episodes. In 2015, producers announced that season lengths might vary depending on the Series. Storytime underwent severe changes during the 2016 Specials. After the premiere of "The Rabbit Whisperer," producers announced that episodes will no longer be told live by a Storyteller. Instead, they would be posted online for reading, which saves tremendous amounts of time on both sides. This became the Storytelling norm. 'Title Sequence' Beginning with Season 4, producers began to create title sequences for the individual episodes. After the publishing of said title sequences, producers went back and added overall Season ones to the past seasons. For Season 4, each title sequence features the names of the characters that are prominent in that episode. Starting with New Frontier, a single title sequence representing the entire season was produced. Unlike the previous intros, New Frontier's featured a more unique twist, while still upholding the same tune and Disney World walkthrough. Renaissance ''and ''Battlefield also adhered to the same visual effect, though the theme song changed entirely for Battlefield. The theme would change again for Insinuation, as would the visuals. Producers announced shortly after the advent of the Series that title sequences would maintain a similar structure within the Series, though the music pitch and visuals could be altered. 'Characters' Characters fall into three subsections: original characters, based characters, and comical characters. Original Characters are characters that have no VMK counterpart and are entirely of the producer's imagination. Notable examples include Katarina, Rhys, Noah, and the entire cast of Insinuation. These characters were the primary basis for the first and second seasons, but Adventureland's debachle coerced producers to try a more relatable route. However, producers prefer original characters. Insinuation features only original characters. Based characters are characters that have either a loose or firm base in another person, usually a VMK counterpart. Such examples include Gallifreyan, Niall, Sasha, and Deeba. These characters are not as favorable to producers because they are limited in what they can do. That being said, producers do enjoy using them. Based characters sometimes do not use the name of their counterpart, such as Cara, Madelyn, and Nathaniel being Sasha, Niall, and Dugood respectively. If characters have a clear counterpart, it is revealed early in the season. If it is part of the plot that the name is not revealed, it is withheld. At the end of each series, producers reveal which characters were original. Comical characters are usually one-off characters that have no long-term purpose. They instead serve minor roles that are instrumental to one episode. Their names are reflective of either their personality or their fate. Notable examples include Yousef Impal, David Normalife, Ineva Tubuldume, Ordi Nary, and Missy Forchun. The only exception is Mets the Mailman, who was a comical character with an entirely different form of comedy. Instead of having a reflective name and single appearance, he only appeared when his avatar did. However, that policy changed in the fifth season when producers declared they were tired of working with the actor's schedule. He would later go on to become Storyteller. In addition to the three main types of characters, there are also Icarus Characters. These characters do not provide any influence on more than a few episodes and only exist to enhance or stall the plot. The first of these characters was Raleigh Icarus, the person from whom the title is derived. The second was designed to be Ren, but he was later upgraded. Therefore, Raleigh Icarus is the only existing Icarus Character. Seasons Ω: The A-F letters indicate the Series of Storytime. There have been four to date, spanning nine seasons. Series are seasons that are linked together. Series A and Series C tie for the longest Series, though Series C is consecutive. Series B and E are the shortest, with only one season each (not including Series F, which never aired at all) Storytellers 1. Nutty's storytelling style consisted mostly of drawing large crowds and dressing the part for each individual episode. 2. Rhys's storytelling style is prominent in that he enjoys seclusion (no interruptions). His shirt color changes for each character's point of view. 3. Mets also changed his shirt color for each character POV. They, however, were different shirts from Rhys's. 4. Katarina assumed traditional storytelling (changing shirt colors). She is the first female Storyteller. The three more recent Storytellers were all slated to return to narrate several of the 2016 Specials. Mets narrated "Hollow." Rhys narrated "The Rabbit Whisperer." However, after the latter episode aired, producers announced that storytellers would be retired and episodes would be posted online. Had this not occurred, Rhys would have narrated "Past the Point of No Return," "Question," and "The Mother of the Cult of Gallifrey." Mets would have narrated "Blue Butterfly Day." Katarina would have narrated the single "Black Widow." Starting with the eleventh season, episodes were entirely published online with no live viewing. Main Characters (Series A-C) Main Characters (Series D) Main Characters (Series E) Category:Browse Category:Home